Nigeria’s attorney general of the federation and minister of justice, Abubakar Malami, has denied gifting 200 Mercedes and Toyota SUVs to party faithfuls in Kebbi State.
According to him, it was his foundations that shared the exotic cars to long-term workers of the NGOs in Kebbi.
Mr. Malami made this known in an interactive session with journalists in Birnin Kebbi.
He said the vehicles were distributed by Khadi Malami and Khadimiyya for Justice and Development Initiative, non-governmental organisations he had been “associated with” over the years.
“As a person with some associates, neither I nor a friend of mine shared any vehicle to any delegate across the state,” explained Mr Malami. “Let me state categorically that some of the foundations, as Khadi Malami and Khadimiyya for Justice and Development Initiative I am associated with over time, have workers who have demonstrated a greater capacity in the development of the state.”
He added that, “In appreciation of what the workers of the associations have been doing in the state and beyond, the supporters of the associations, collectively and individually, decided to solicit for support from well-meaning Nigerians that have been supporting the NGOs in order to reward those that have been manning the affairs of the NGOs.”
Although Mr Malami admitted he had an interactive session with APC stakeholders some days before the vehicles were distributed, he said it was not connected to the distribution of the vehicles.
“I know I had an interactive session with APC stakeholders some days ago and had accepted calls from Kebbi people to run for the state governorship; the meeting was not for distribution of vehicles to any APC stakeholder,” he maintained. “None of the APC stakeholder or delegate in Kebbi State was given any vehicle by me, and I have not yet donated any vehicle to any delegate.”
Meanwhile, the minister claimed he faced many attacks after the vehicles were shared to the beneficiaries.
“At this moment, I have experienced a barrage of attacks, left, right and centre, some are local and others international, an attack that has to do with an allegation that I shared many expensive vehicles to delegates of APC,” he told journalists
